Glass run guide channel



p 0, 0- A. H. HABERSTUMP 2,214,328

GLASS RUN GUIDE CHANNEL Filed July 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. ALFRED H. HABERSTU/AP ATTORNEY3.

. p 10. 1940. v A. H. HABERSTUMP 2,214,328

GLA$5 RUN GUIDE CHANNEL Filed July 29, 19:58 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALF RED H. HABERsTU/AP ATTORNEY5.

Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE GLASS RUN GUIDE CHANNEL Application July 29, 1938, Serial No. 222,012

2 Claims,

The present invention relates to structures for movably connecting a window or the like to a' supporting structure therefor, and in particular provides an improved glass run guide channel assembly for a vehicle window.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a construction of the above generally indicated character, wherein the connection between the window and its supporting structure is constituted by one or more rollers carried by one of the members and a rail carried by the other members; to provide such a structure wherein the rollers are of either inwardly or outwardly presenting V-form, and the rails are complementarily formed, so that the rollers and the rails cooperate to support the glass against movement parallel to the plane of the glass and also against movement transversely of the plane of the glass; to provide such a structure wherein one or both of the rail members is resiliently supported, so that the rollers are at all times resiliently urged into engagement with the rails provided therefor; and to provide such a structure which may be economically manufactured,

5 assembled and installed and which is quiet and reliable in operation.

With the above as well as other more detailed objects in view, which appear in the following description and in the appended claims, preferred but illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings throughout the several views of which corresponding reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, with certain of the parts broken away, of a vehicle door construction embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view, taken along the line H widely different applications. In its preferred forms, however, the invention is particularly well adapted for use in conjunction with the doors of automotive vehicles and, in an illustrative but not in a limiting sense, the improvements are so 5 disclosed herein.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 7, the improved door comprises generally a window or glass III, and a lower body portion designated as a whole 10 as l2. The body portion I2 is conventionally formed to have spaced inner and outer panels M and I6 respectively, which are joined together along their marginal edges by a rail l8 which, as will be understood, extends throughout the 15 front, bottom, and rear edges of the door. The glass l0, which is provided with the usual molding 20, is movable from the elevated position shown in Fig. 1 to a lower position in which it v is entirely concealed within the body of the door. 20 The window movement is controlled in accord- V ance with conventional practice by the window regulating mechanism designated as a whole as 22.

The present invention is concerned primarily 2!! with the structure employed in guiding the window Ill in its up and down movements relative I to the door body l2, and in this instance, the door body I2 is provided with vertically extending grooved rails 26 and 26, which are en- 30 gaged respectively by rollers 28 supported adjacent one edge of the window l0 and rollers 30 which are supported on the window l0 adjacent the other edge thereof.

The rollers 28, the peripheral surfaces of which 35 are formed of generally V -shape, complemental to the grooved form of the associated rail 24, are rotatably supported in 'a channel-shaped bracket 32, which extends downwardly from the corresponding corner of the window in continua- 40 tion of the molding 20. To give additional support to the bracket 32, a supporting plate 36 is secured to one edge thereof, and extends inwardly of the door therefrom. The plate 28 is connected to an angularly extending bracket 38, the other end whereof is secured as by welding to the lower marginal edge 20a. of the window molding. The rollers 28 are rotatably iournaled within the bracket 32 by means of pins 40 (Fig. 3),

and the base 42 of the bracket 32 is provided with spaced apertures, through which the peripheries of the rollers 28 project. The rollers 30 are correspondingly supported in downwardly depending relation from the other corner of the window H), by means of a bracket 44.

The rail 28 associated with the rollers 80 is secured in fixed position relative to the corresponding edge of the door I2, by means of upper and lower channel-shaped brackets 48 and 48 (Figs. 5 and 2 respectively), the legs whereof embrace the legs of the rail 28 and are suitably secured thereto as by welding. The bracket 46 is secured to the rail I8 of the door by a stud 80 which passes through an opening in the rail, and is threaded into a lug 52 which is fitted in the base of the bracket 48. The bracket is correspondingly secured to the rail I8 by means of a stud 54.

Provision of the groove-like bearing relation between the rollers andthe rails is regarded as being a feature of substantial importance in the practice of the present invention. It will be understood that this groove-like bearing relation enables the rollers and-the rails to give guiding support to the window against sidewise movement of the window in a direction parallel to the plane of the window, and to also give guiding support to the window against movement transversely to such plane. The single series of rollers and rails, accordingly, give complete guiding support to the window and at the same time does not interfere with the free rolling movement thereof.

A feature of the present invention resides in arranging the supporting and guiding structure for the window I0 in such a way that such supporting and guiding structure resiliently embraces the window, so as to permit free rolling movement thereof relative to the rails, and to also avoid rattling of parts and take up wear between the rollers and the rails. In the illustrated instance,

' this feature is provided by mounting the rail 26 for limited yielding movement in the plane of the window. As illustrated, the rail 24 is supported adjacent the corresponding rail of the door by means of a lower bracket 80 and an upper bracket 62. The brackets 80 and 82 (Figs. 7 and 3-) are each of generally channel-shape, the legs whereof embrace the legs of the rails 24. The bracket 82 is provided with a leaf or other spring element 64, the back whereof bears against the rail 24 and urges the same to the right as viewed in Fig. 3. The spring 84 thus acts to yieldingly hold the rail 24 in engaging relation to the rollers 28, and at the same time, provides a definite limit to inward movement of the rail 24 relative to the bracket 62. A corresponding limit to outward movement of the rail 24 is afforded by inwardly flanging the marginal edges 88 of the bracket 82, so that they lie in blocking relation to the legs of the rail 24. The spring 04 is preferably retained in the bracket 62 by providing the latter with inwardly directed tongues 68 adjacent the end thereof, which are received in corresponding notches 10 formed in the end of the spring 64. It will be understood that the free length of the spring 64 is in excess of the spacing between the tongues 88, so that a bow is introduced into the spring when it is snapped into place between the tongues 68. It will be understood by reference to Fig. 7, that the rail 24 is correspondingly secured within the lower bracket 80, and that the spring In the. illustrated instance, in order to limit vertical movement of the rail 24 relative to the brackets 60 and 62, the rail 24 is provided adjacent its upper and lower ends with outwardly struck tongues 14 and I8 which pass through corresponding slots such as 18 (Fig. 7) formed in the corresponding leg of the associated bracket. The slots such as I8 are elongated in the direction of yielding movement of the rail 24, and so do not interfere with the aforementioned yielding move-- ment of the rail. At the same time, these slots form an effective connection preventing vertical displacement of the rail 24 from the brackets 80 and 82.

The upper bracket 02 is secured to the inner panel of the door I4 by means of-a bracket 80, the outwardly turned legs 82 whereof are welded or otherwise secured to the corresponding leg of the bracket 62, and the base whereof is secured to the panel I4 by means of studs 84.

The lower bracket 60 is rigidly but adjustably secured to the rail I8 of the door I2 by means of a connection constituted by two angle brackets 86 and 88, which are connected respectively to the bracket 80 and the rail I8, and which are connected together in adjustable relation by means of a stud 90.

In certain instances, it is desirable to reinforce the roller-supporting brackets such as 82 and 44, so as to maintain a predetermined spacing be tween the side walls thereof and overcome any otherwise existing possibility of such legs being inwardly deformed so as'to" bind upon the associated rollers such as 28 and 80. In such instances, it is preferred to providethe arrangement shown in Fig. 6, wherein the bracket 44 is provided with a channel-shaped filler plate I00, which is retained within the bracket by means of a stud I02, the threaded end whereof is threaded into a plug I04 which is inserted through an assogiated opening provided in the base of the bracket Fig. 6 further illustrates an additional feature which is frequently utilized in the practice of the invention. In the arrangement shown specifically in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and I, the molding 20 for the window is constituted by a sheet of stock bent into generally channel form, the ends whereof are extended downwardly to constitute the previously "described bracket portions 82 and 44. In certain instances, it is desirable, in the interest of economy, to constitute the molding by a backing portion of relatively heavy section and a surface portion of relatively light section. This relation is shown particularly in Fig. 6, in which the backing portion is represented by the reference character 44 and the relatively light surface wherefor is represented by the reference character I08.

correspond generally to the previously described brackets and 82. The brackets I20 and I22 are of generally U-shaped form, and the rail H8 is' slidably received between the legs thereof. The

inner marginal edges such as I24 of the brackets I20 and I22 are inwardly turned to limit movement of the rail I I8 inwardly of the door, and the base of the rail I I8 is engaged by compression springs I20 and I28. The legs of the brackets I20 and I22 are inwardly depressed as is indicated at I80 and I32, to define a reduced area, so 'as to give guiding support against lateral movement of the spring [28 relative to the rails. The brackets I20 and I22 are also supported upon the doorrail l8 by means of channel-shaped brackets I34, the legs whereof extend generally perpendicular to the nicked-in portions I30 and I32, and cooperate with such nicked-in portions to define completely enclosed wells or recesses to receive the springs I28.

In addition to the distinctions discussed above, it is also preferred to the embodiments of Figs. 8 and 9, to utilize rollers I40 of grooved form, and to form the associated rails H and H6 with inverted V-shaped portions adapted to enter the grooves in the peripheries of the rollers. In all other respects, the arrangement of Figs. 8 and 9 may and preferably does follow the construction described above in detail with reference to Figs. 1 to 7.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that in each of the described embodiments, the Window is guided in its upward and downward movements relative to the door by means of a rolling connection between the window and the supporting channel guide. Moreover, the relation is one wherein the rollers and the cooperating guide rail portions cooperate together to limit sidewise movement of the glass in the plane thereof, and to also limit movement of the glass transversely to the plane thereof. In addition, the guiding connection is such that a resilient support for the window is provided by the guiding structure. The resultant window-supporting structure is extremely simple of manufacture and assembly, and

is also found in practice to be quiet and reliable in operation.

It is to be understood that various modifications in the form, number and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination in a door having a well, of a window glass in said well, a frame around said glass which is extended at opposite edges to form legs therebelow, a pair of spaced rollers j ournalled on each said leg, said rollers having truncated conical side faces, channel shaped rails within the Well of said door, the webs of which are extended to form channels having converging sides with which the faces of said rollers engage, and spring means relatively urging said rails toward each other.

2. The combination in a door having a well, of a window glass in said well, an inverted U-shaped frame of inwardly presented channel section engaging the top and side of said glass and projecting therebelow, an additional element engaging the bottom edge of the glass and joined to said frame above the projecting portions thereof, rollers in the channel of said projections extending through the web thereof, the side face of said rollers being of truncated conical shape, channel shaped rails having a V-shaped channel in the web thereof engaged by said rollers, and spring means for relatively urging said rails toward each other.

ALFRED H. HABERSTUMP. 

